Finster and Duffy Stephens : Furry Friends Fur-Ever
“I have had cats since the day I was born, usually more than one,” Duffy admits. “Finster, formerly Derry, has now joined Pete and Yukon, two senior male cats who used to be bossed around by a female, and are enjoying the bump in status!
“Finster, by the way, is named for a Looney Tunes character. Although his namesake is a crook, Finster, on the other hand, is a very well behaved boy. At the shelter, he was a male in a room of females, and I was looking for a male to complement Pete and Yukon.
“Finster’s adjustment to living here was gradual because he was very skittish and shy. But he’s gotten braver after three months and the cat toys that have lain dormant for years have now been dug out and are scattered all over the house! He’s truly enjoying the company of the other two cats and they’re enjoying his. Whenever they want to play, they come out and chase or bat each other, and then, when the ‘elders’ are done, they find their comfort spot and watch the ‘little boy’ continue to play. He loves furry mice and packing peanuts, while the laser’s red dot is an absolute menace and must be STOPPED.
“Finster likes cuddles and scritches on his own terms. He’s currently not a lap cat, but I suspect that as the weather cools, he’ll find my lap’s a good space to be warm. One of his most endearing quirks is the fact that he’s a talker. He’ll come over and ‘talk’ at me, but he and I haven’t yet figured out precisely what he wants when he talks: we’re working on our words!
“At night, Finster has his comfy corners where he likes to sleep. He often picks a space far from where the others are, as if to say he wants some alone time. It will be interesting to see what he does when the weather gets colder.
“Overall, Finster is truly a well-behaved kitten. He uses the litter box appropriately and doesn’t scratch the furniture or the curtains. He’s happy not being the alpha and respects his ‘grampas.’ In return, Pete and Yukon not only relish their time with him, they’ve been developing routines designed for three.”
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Furry Friends Fur-Ever Stories are compiled and written by Nomi Berger who is the bestselling author of seven novels, one work of non-fiction, two volumes of poetry, and hundreds of articles. She is a volunteer writer for Furry Friends in Vancouver, WA and also volunteers her writing skills to animal rescue groups in Canada and the USA.
